“Stop where you are!” blasted the voice again. As it did, she tripped over a rotted tree branch—stumbling forward.
She plunged on, winding in and out of the giant trees and climbed over fallen logs, not daring to peek over her shoulder. The ground grew steeper and more uneven as panic urged her to keep moving. The slope she edged along appeared dangerous, and that was when, to her horror, she realized she had been running in the wrong direction.
When a different noise came from close behind, she whirled around and almost fainted when she spotted a large, shiny thing-a-ma-jig with long metal legs. There was no way for her to know that “the mechanical spider” was one of the several surveillance cameras monitoring the property for intruders.
In her stunned state of mind, she watched the motorized eyes zoom in and out like the adjusting lenses of a camera, and then it lunged at her. She jumped back, but her hasty move caused her to lose her balance. She cried out and clutched at the air, her whole body weaving backwards and forwards before she toppled down a slope. The rocky soil kept crumbling under her while she tried to regain her footing, but her body kept on sliding. She helplessly grabbed for a handhold of dirt but loose gravel sent her body hurling downward. She stopped at last, half hanging over the edge, afraid to move knowing the slightest movement would surely send her to the bottom of the ravine.
The ground blurred, receded, and sprang back up at her. Her stomach twisted. She clutched at the dirt, leaning into the slope and yanked her eyes away from the appalling drop before another wave of fear caused her to move. Panic tightened her chest and shortened her breath even more. It was coming into her throat in tiny sobs until the ground beneath her gave way sending her over the edge.
* * * * * *
Back at the gate entrance, a hand came down on the battery powered bullhorn, knocking it away from Kip’s mouth. Kip stared into two distressed brown eyes and scowled under Paul’s troubled glare. Paul couldn’t believe how far Kip and Starla would go with their cunning cruelty towards Oddily.
“What’s with you?” Kip grumbled. “Loosen up and have some fun.”
“This prank isn't amusing!” Paul frowned. “You have the sound bellowing so loudly, the poor girl must be paralyzed with fear.”
“How was I to know of her close proximity?” Kip chuckled. “Did you hear the way she screamed?!”
“Why do you care?” snapped Starla, her eyes questioning and dangerous as she fixed her stare on Paul.
“You guys are jerks!” Paul’s words startled Starla for a moment as her body heaved in a sharp, involuntary breath.
Starla’s deep blue eyes diminished into two narrow slits. “You’ll be sorry.” Her tone carried a strong, hidden message. She implied that he was risking her friendship by speaking to her that way. Starla turned on her heels and walked away with Kip.
Paul turned his thoughts back to Oddily for a moment, wondering if he should try to find her when he realized something. In spite of the fact that he had defended the girl, he didn’t want to be linked with her. He was making himself fair game for Starla, and the rest of his friends, and he couldn’t let that happen. He needed to be careful, or the group would add him to their target list along with Oddily.
“Are you coming with us or not?”
Paul cringed at Starla’s shrill voice. “Yeah, wait up!”
CHAPTER 4
Oddily heard an unusual sound, sensing something hovering over her while she struggled to open her eyes. Every time she tried to get a glimpse of what or who stood so near, her eyes tilted up into her head.
Who on earth had a pair of cold, hard arms? Whatever lifted her limp body, began to move exceptionally fast through a whirl of green foliage and tree trunks. It appeared as though she weighed no more than a feather, and her rescuer wasn’t breathing. Instead, it made a high-pitched squeaking noise.
Her consciousness drifted in and out until she touched a hard surface beneath her. The crinkling sound reminded her of the protective paper used in a doctors’ office. Had she been taken to the hospital?After the squeaking noise had stopped, her thoughts were drawn to a high melodic voice overhead that spoke in an enchanting tone. “Thank you, Tinley.”
Oddily’s eyes fluttered open and quickly closed to shield them from the blindingly bright lights.
“Tinley, please dim the lights.”
There was that enthralling voice again. Oddily took another peek, glancing up towards the captivating sound, and came nose to nose with an inhumanly beautiful face. The girl’s features, framed with unusual light and wispy blonde hair, caused her to appear like an angel. Oddily’s eyes grew wide with wonder. “Have I died and gone to heaven?”
They both stared at each other until the girl became distracted. Oddily followed the exquisite stranger’s gaze, and thought she was seeing things. There appeared to be two of them, the other one a male. He stood at the entrance of a large doorway resembling an open warehouse.
He glared at her for a brief moment, and then his eyes flickered back to the look-a-like female. Oddily glanced from one to the other, trying to determine who was more beautiful, but it was hard. The twins looked alike and yet…different. She studied their looks in detail. Their straight nose, full lips and sky blue eyes were the same except the boy’s hair appeared to be a darker shade of blonde than the girl. He was also taller than she was—so lean and defined like a gymnast.
“Tell me, why are you trespassing?” the girl demanded.
Oddily was caught off guard by the interruption and senselessly started to babble. “I…I need to take a snapshot of Stafford Manor for my foster sister and her friends.”
All of a sudden, Oddily became self-conscious in telling her story to this heavenly creature. She started to falter, trying to come up with another excuse, but her mind went blank.
“Why do you need a picture?”
Oddily blushed. She simply couldn’t allow this angel to hear her ridiculous explanation, especially in front of the boy that still lingered close by.
I think she’s enjoying your presence. The angelic presence used telepathy to speak to her brother.
Very funny, he shifted his body uneasily.
She wants a snapshot of the Manor.
Yes, I’ve been listening. What is she truly after?
I’m not sure. I can’t seem to read her thoughts right now. Her mind is too dazed and chaotic—probably from that bump on her head.
I don’t like this, sis.
Oddily caught the hint of concern in both their faces as the duo seemingly communicated without words, but when the boy realized she still had her eyes fixed on him he turned his back on her. She became uncomfortable from the rebuke and averted her face.
When has a gawking girl ever made you uncomfortable?
He glanced at Oddily again, and thankfully, she was busy biting her nails. I can’t see her eyes under that mop of red hair, and it bothers me. She reminds me of a predator who’s watching their prey!
She laughed after his silly confession, and he scowled back at her.
You know what we must do with her.
The boy instantly straightened his posture. No! There has to be another way.
I’m listening.
I need time to think.
We don’t have time. Who knows what this girl is up to, and she has already seen too much to let her go. We can’t take the chance of having her leave here and stirring up more rumors and curiosity.
I’ll take care of the situation, sis.
“Hello,” Oddily’s soft, sweet voice caught their attention while she struggled to sit up. She tried to break the tension forming in the air, but her interruption only made things worse.
“Excuse me,” this time her words were choked with tension. She wanted to leave because both of them were standing eerily still resembling two statues staring at each other. It was a creepy sight!
“Security,” the female’s musical voice flowed from her cherub mouth while the male stepped into the room, and no wonder. A lar
ge metal door came sliding down from above and closed, sealing the three of them inside.
Did you have to close the door in front of her? The boy gave his sister a stern look. Now, she’s more frightened than ever.
Oddily couldn’t conceal her growing apprehension when, for the third time that day, she felt like a trapped bird in a cage. She made an effort to get off the table, but her body hurt too much when she tried to move.
Quit being so gallant! The girl complained to her brother. In a few minutes, she’s not going to remember any of this.
The angelic blonde left the room with quick, graceful steps like a professional dancer while the boy stayed and stared at her with an expression Oddily had no way of defining. He ran his hand through his hair, brushing back a strand falling over his eye while surveying her.
Oddily couldn’t stand his scrutiny. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to contain the frightening thoughts dancing around the perimeter of her mind. With her eyes closed, she could almost pretend the two of them were a figment of her imagination. Of course, they were! They came across as being too otherworldly and regal to be anything else.
Then she shook her head. No, something wasn’t right with them. Once again fear started to run wild in her mind. Her eyes had popped open to prevent the new nightmare from forming and discovered they had left her alone in the big room. She blinked hard in an effort to clear her vision.
“Perhaps it’s my imagination after all,” she whispered in disbelief, except her sore body sure felt real. Her head throbbed while every muscle and joint in her body started to ache worse than before.
She glanced around the enormous room and realized this was no hospital. The space appeared to be a sophisticated ‘high-tech’ auto mechanics garage, except this place repaired thing-a-ma-jigs with metal body parts. A few of those unidentifiable things and a metal human-like robot lay on slabs like the one she occupied. There were also complex computers at the head of each bed with giant screens on the nearby wall monitoring what Oddily assumed were the grounds of the Stafford Estate. She was sure of this when, on one of the monitors, she viewed her pink backpack next to a mound of dirt—evidently the place where she had landed after the fall.
Then she eyed several large welding machines and spotted three futuristic thingies—possibly cyber-tanks. Thankfully, they were empty. Maybe she had stumbled onto the set of a science fiction movie and the two strangers were actors.
Oddily caught sight of a cart full of fiber optics and microelectronics near the table she occupied and eyed a peculiar contraption with blinking lights. She picked up the object to turn it over in her hands for a closer look, but not for long. Without warning, the boy returned and continued to stare at her. She shoved the device inside her sweater pocket, mortified he might find out that she touched their things. She would wait for the right moment to put it back on the tray.
The boy didn’t speak a word as he handed her a cup filled with a brew that gave off a heavenly aroma. She noticed that when their fingers accidentally touched, he quickly pulled away seemingly repulsed by her.
“Thank you,” she whispered as her bottom lip began to involuntarily quiver. She feared for her life, but his response to her touch was even more terrifying. His repulsion had stabbed her like a knife in her battered heart. She tried to hide her fear and disenchantment by concealing her face in the cup while she sipped at the beverage, but an unintentional tear escaped down her cheek. The boy spotted her teardrop and with one quick motion, caught the tear with his fingertip.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to cry.”
Oddily would have loved to imprint the magical sound of his voice in her memory, but her embarrassment was beyond words. She tried to bury her face even further into the tiny cup hoping the steam from the warm liquid would conceal the other tears.
Maxim! The beautiful girl had re-entered the room, her harsh tone filled his head with warning.
The brows of the strange boy knotted together in response and without warning, he took the cup from Oddily before she could finish. Oddily thought the boy was about to do something to her and with a jolt, realized he might have already done it! What if he had poisoned her? Suppose the sweet tasting drink he had given her would momentarily end her tortured life. Maybe this became the fate of those missing people who supposedly disappeared after entering the forbidden grounds. She tried to calm down, but panic took over, and she started to plead for her life.
“Please don’t kill me,” she cried out in terror. “I swear, I’ll never step foot on your land again!”
The features of the boy’s perfect face became distorted as though her words had caused him inner turmoil. Silently, he reached up and rested his hand on her head, caressing her mop of hair while his distressed eyes bore into hers.
Why is he deliberately touching me now? What is he doing? Her mind became incoherent, losing her train of thought. Where am I? That became the last thing she thought before familiar voices sounded in her ear.
“Oh my God,” Starla’s voice shrieked. “What happened to you?”
Oddily tried to focus on the image of Starla getting out of her blue Mini Cooper, along with Kendall and another girl she didn’t know. Kip pulled up close behind, his red Chevy truck screeching to a stop. Kip, Paul, and Paul’s friend Jeff jumped out and stared at her as she continued to lean against the gate in a dazed stupor.
“I don’t know!” Oddily noticed her voice sounding far away—detached.
“Did you get it?” Starla impatiently stood too close for comfort.
“Get what?” Oddily gave her a blank stare.
“A photo of the Manor, you moron!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. The last thing I remember is walking home from school, and…here I am.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Starla stepped away from her. “You’re starting to freak me out!”
Oddily stood still, unresponsive as she tried to comprehend what was happening. It felt like there were holes in her memory. All she could do was gaze at Starla while she put her hands on her hips. It was a gesture she did when someone annoyed her.
“Are you saying you don’t remember going down that path into the woods?” Starla used her chin to point beyond the gate, “or the picture you promised to take of the Manor for me?”“No—I’m sorry.”
“She’s lying!” Kendall joined in on the conversation, flicking her dark brown ponytail from side to side as though she were a horse shooing at flies. “She’s pretending to have amnesia, so she won’t have to go back inside the grounds. Kip’s right—she’s too scared!”
Oddily continued to stare at Kendall’s swishing ponytail. For some reason, she became amused by it. Her tossing head reminded her of someone with an uncontrollable twitch, and suddenly, she had an urge to laugh. She did.
“Duh,” Kendall made a silly face at her. “What’s so funny?”“Your ponytail,” Oddily continued to giggle.
“Stop laughing!” Starla shouted.
Oddily grew quiet, cringing from her outburst.
“Okay, I’m done with this!” Starla started to freak out. “I need my camera, and I want it back right now. Where’s your backpack?”
Oddily reached for her bag she typically had slung over her shoulder and found nothing, then searched the ground. “It’s not here!”
“You are so stupid,” Kip smirked, shaking his head as he sucked on a toothpick. “There’s no way I’d ever hang out with someone like you.”
The air became filled with laughter and snide remarks while the group returned to their vehicles and drove off, leaving Oddily alone, in a cloud of dust.
CHAPTER 5
Oddily choked, turning her head to try and protect her nose and mouth with her hands. After the dust had settled, she glanced around and assumed she was alone, unaware of the watchful eyes from beyond the shadows of the giant trees.
From his hiding place, Maxim observed the injured girl try to reopen the gate; and thankfully, she was
too small to reach the latch. Assuming she was smart enough, she would try again, contemplating her backpack may truly be inside the grounds. He was puzzled that someone would be so beside themselves over what were probably a few school books and some homework assignments.
Maxim had to act fast and headed to where the girl had fallen. He had already viewed the place where she fell from one of the computer screens in his workshop. He had been tinkering with repairs when the projected image of the landslide appeared.
As he ran, his legs pumped with smooth power twisting around trees, and jumping over debris where it lay on the trail. Like the wind, he sprinted through the timber. Ducking and dodging branches, as though he had been doing this all his life. Not until he reached the collapsed hillside did he slow his pace to where the soiled, pink backpack lay.
For some reason, this young girl hung out with high-school students, and he suspected they used her for their own questionable purposes. Why did they desire a picture of Stafford Manor? He shook his head at the boldness of their intrusion into his private world. He took this as a direct threat to him and his family.
Maxim’s thoughts returned to the backpack. He became curious and sat down on a boulder to check out the contents. There were no surprises waiting. Maxim found an English book, a notebook, an unused camera, and a half-empty box of raisins. However, another book bound in dull green leather with a golden spider web on the cover did surprise him—a book that took on a peculiar aspect like its owner…her personal journal.
That’s why she’s so distraught, he mused. She kept her diary in her backpack. Didn’t girls usually hide them under their pillow, or between their mattresses? He flipped through some of her school work and whispered her name, Oddily. He shook his head in disbelief when he realized that, despite her size, she was also a high-school student. He pulled out the journal and began to read.
DEC. 3: While walking to school, a dark haired girl stuck her arm out of the car window, and slapped me on the back of my head. I accidentally bit my tongue, and I’m still in pain.
Maxim turned several pages to another entry.
MAR. 17: Today, across the front of my locker door, someone wrote, “Troll” with a green marker.What Maxim read was bothersome, cruelty beyond his understanding. He turned the pages to an entry from the previous month.